Amphitheater hopes for best season in its 15 years

‘Don’t stop believin’.”

Approximately 18,000 people sang the words from the blockbuster hit by Journey on Aug. 25 as the ’80s band brought its performance to a mighty conclusion at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater. Venue management believes the sellout crowd may be followed by similar outcomes across the remaining five concerts in September, concluding the amphitheater’s best year ever.

The song’s refrain — “Don’t stop believing/Hold on to the feeling …” — has been an oft-used thematic for sports franchises, political causes, self-empowerment workshops and countless other applications. For Journey, the notion has been fruitful: The band’s breakthrough album recently marked its 35th anniversary.

For Sunlight Supply Amphitheater (known in recent years as Sleep Country Amphitheater), 2016 marks its 15th season of continuous operation. CEO Dan Braun has been with the organization before a shovelful of dirt was moved at the location adjacent to the Clark County Fairgrounds.

“We’ve come a long way. The venue never had the advantage of a honeymoon period,” said Braun, recalling a Jimmy Buffett concert in the early days which delivered a huge turnout and also huge traffic tie-ups that some still associate with the venue.

In fact, traffic still remains a sticking point, largely due to the freeway interchange at Interstate 5 and Northeast 179th Street.

For a big crowd like the one that saw Journey, there are 7,200 cars to park and a relatively small window prior to the concert’s starting time to make it happen. Afterward, concertgoers depart in a much more compressed time frame.

The venue seats 18,000 people — 10,000 on the lawn and 8,000 under the roof.

After the sellout Journey concert — which also featured powerhouse rockers the Doobie Brothers and Dave Mason — Marketing Manager Andy Holland said the parking lots were completely cleared in just over an hour after the show’s conclusion.

For most concerts, C-Tran also operates a shuttle service from the Salmon Creek Park-and-Ride lot for those who wish to bypass the parking lots.

“We’re committed to doing whatever we can to make it comfortable, keeping in mind we have 18,000 people onsite for the evening. They’ve invested into an experience — and nothing replicates the power of a live music experience,” said Braun, who has been going to concerts since his early teens and been involved with venue management since the early 1990s.

Risky business

The investment risk factor in live entertainment is not for the faint-hearted.

Ticket revenue provides very little bottom-line revenue to companies such as Quincunx of Washington, LLC, which won the contract to build the facility. Quincunx invested $40 million to purchase the land, pay for right-of-way acquisitions, infrastructure and build all structures. Braun said the company has not yet realized the return on its money.

When the building process was completed, the entire property was deeded to the county. Quincunx now pays rent to Clark County. The facility is not paid for in any way by county taxpayers. Instead, the revenue generated there helps fund other county operations.

The issue of skyrocketing ticket prices often leads people to ask, “Who is making all the money?”

Braun said 90 to 95 percent of ticket revenue is retained by the artists. And that revenue has been steadily increasing.

In the early 1990s, the Eagles’ reunion tour jolted the concert-going public with tickets which broke the $100 ceiling for large scale venues. Ticket costs have been spiraling upward ever since.

With the advent of Napster and shared and streamed music, revenue from the sales of recorded music plummeted. While artists had historically toured to support sales of their recordings, they suddenly were hitting the road to make money — very big money.

For producers such as Quincunx, virtually all of the concert revenue comes from sales of concessions and merchandise. In short, that’s why a beer costs $12 and a soft drink goes for $7. The margin on popcorn is significant. It has to be for the music to keep playing.

Most of the 2016 shows at the amphitheater have fared well. Audience response to the music has been excellent, Braun said, and intermission breaks have been bountiful revenue generators. With five concerts still to go in September, Braun feels confident 2016 will turn out to be the venue’s best year ever.